Arkas ( el, Αρκάς) is the

pen name A pen name, also called a ''nom de plume'' or a literary double, is a pseudonym (or, in some cases, a variant form of a real name) adopted by an author and printed on the title page or by-line of their works in place of their real name. A pen na ...

of a popular Greek

comics artist A cartoonist is a visual artist who specializes in both drawing and writing cartoons (individual images) or comics (sequential images). Cartoonists differ from comics writers or comic book illustrators in that they produce both the literary and g ...

that began working in early 1981. His comics have a unique style, often combining humor and deep philosophical questions. The structure of the stories are generally very simple with each volume being made up of individual strips which follow some general plot guidelines. Most of the times we will only see two main characters: One is the rational, skeptical and questioning figure, while the other is a rude, vulgar or just empty-headed character who usually provides the punchlines. The stories take place in a variety of different locations/situations with protagonists that are usually animals but humans and occasionally video-game characters are also featured. Arkas seldom appears at conventions and generally avoids publicity and appearances on television shows or interviews, as he has been quoted to believe that the artist should be known through his work, not through personal promotion. A mystery has been created around his identity and his real name still remains unknown, although the Greek newspaper ''Kathimerini'' has also mentioned it as Antonis Evdemon. According to fan rumors, he is a psychiatrist, possibly a university professor. Arkas in Greek means Arcadian or someone from the province of

Arcadia Arcadia may refer to: Places Australia * Arcadia, New South Wales, a suburb of Sydney * Arcadia, Queensland * Arcadia, Victoria Greece * Arcadia (region), a region in the central Peloponnese * Arcadia (regional unit), a modern administrative un ...

. However, the

CamelCase Camel case (sometimes stylized as camelCase or CamelCase, also known as camel caps or more formally as medial capitals) is the practice of writing phrases without spaces or punctuation. The format indicates the separation of words with a single ...

style in which his name is written suggests that Arkas may be only his initials. Arkas has been translated into other languages and has become known outside Greece. Translations of his books can be found in

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, French,

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and Serbian.

Works

Comic book titles

* O κόκκορας / The rooster – 1981 * Show business – 1983 * Ξυπνάς μέσα μου το ζώο / You bring out the animal in me – 1985 * Μετά την καταστροφή / After the destruction – 1986 * Φάε το κερασάκι / Eat the cherry – 1987 * Ο Παντελής και το λιοντάρι / Pantelis and the lion – 1987 * Αταίριαστοι έρωτες / Ιncongruous love – 1988 * Ο ισοβίτης / The lifer – 1989 * Χαμηλές πτήσεις / Low flights – 1991 * Καστράτο / Castrato – 1995 * Πειραματόζωα / Lab animals – 1998 * Ο καλός λύκος / The big good wolf – 1998 * Η ζωή μετά / The afterlife – 1999 * Οι συνομήλικοι / Peers * Θηρία ενήμερα / Informed beasts * Το μικρό και το μεγάλο / The small and the big * Επικίνδυνα νερά / Dangerous waters

CD albums

*Ξυπνάς μέσα μου το ζώο / You bring out the animal in me – 1997

Theatre plays

*Εχθροί Εξ Αίματος / Blood Enemies – 2007 *Βιολογικός Μετανάστης / Biological Immigrant – 2011

References

External links

Homepage of Arkas
in

Lambiek Comiclopedia Galerie Lambiek is a Dutch comic book store and art gallery in Amsterdam, founded on November 8, 1968 by Kees Kousemaker (, – Bussum, ), though since 2007, his son Boris Kousemaker is the current owner. From 1968 to 2015, it was located ...

{{Authority control Living people 20th-century Greek artists 21st-century Greek artists 20th-century Greek writers 21st-century Greek writers 20th-century Greek male writers 21st-century Greek male writers Pseudonymous artists Greek comics artists Greek comics writers 1958 births 20th-century pseudonymous writers 21st-century pseudonymous writers